Bump, Set, Spike: The 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Volleyball All-Scholastics
TAUNTON— Another high school volleyball season came and went in the Greater Taunton area.
Bristol-Plymouth (9-10, 4-6 Mayflower Athletic Conference) had the best fall of all four area teams, falling just short of qualifying the Division 2 tournament while Bridgewater-Raynham (8-12, 5-3 Southeast Conference) also put in some strong performances, Taunton (6-14, 3-13 Hockomock League) had some solid outings and Dighton-Rehoboth (5-15, 1-13 South Coast Conference) bounced back from a big player loss to win four of their final eight matches.
With the fall season now in the rearview, here's a final look back at the Greater Taunton area volleyball players who stood out among the crowd to earn their spot as 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Volleyball All-Scholastics.
Player of the Year
Corinne Braga, Dighton-Rehoboth
The senior libero solidified her spot as an all-time program great this fall as she became the first Falcon to reach 1,000 career digs. She recorded over 300 digs for her sophomore, junior and senior seasons and took on even more of a leadership role on the court following the injury to Lucy Latour. Some of her most notable outings this fall include recording 22 digs against both West Bridgewater and Seekonk, 17 digs and six aces against New Bedford and 17 digs and four aces against Somerset Berkley.
An SCC All-Star, Braga is also a key member of the softball team and her talents and leadership will certainly be missed at D-R next year.
First Team All-Scholastics
Sadie Herry, Taunton
The freshman defensive specialist and libero established herself as a leader for the Tigers this fall, holding down the defensive efforts and keeping Taunton in many of their close matches.
A Hockomock Honorable Mention, expect Herry to be a leader for the Tigers as she continues to grow and improve as an athlete over the next three years.
CJ Buron, Bridgewater-Raynham
The junior middle hitter truly established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the heart of the Trojan court this fall, recording 239 attacks, 106 kills, 69 blocks and 51 digs. Coach Maria Serrano praised her for her on-court aggressiveness and the amount of heart she put into her game. Key to many B-R victories, some of her most notable outings include recording eight kills, 13 attacks, four blocks, three aces and a pair of digs against New Bedford and four kills, 12 attacks and 16 serves against Durfee.
An SEC Honorable Mention, expect Buron to continue to grow and improve as an athlete heading into her senior year.
Samantha Hayward, Bridgewater-Raynham
The senior defensive specialist brought the laughter and stepped up when she was needed for her team according to Serrano, recording 217 passes, 181 digs and 67 serves. She recorded 23 digs alone in a match against Fontbonne Academy.
Hayaward's presence and talent will certainly be missed by the Trojans next year.
Jillian Russell, Bridgewater-Raynham
The senior setter wrapped up a stellar volleyball career for the Trojans this fall with another strong campaign, recording 864 sets, 289 serves, 170 assists, 161 digs and 55 aces. Praised by Serrano for her ability to lead B-R to victory through her jump serves even when all seemed lost, some of her most notable outings include recording 76 sets, 25 serves, 15 assists, 12 digs, five aces and three attacks against Fontbonne Academy and 18 digs, 15 assists and a pair of aces against Brockton.
An SEC All-Star, her leadership and abilities will certainly be missed by the Trojans last year.
Julia Santos, Bridgewater-Raynham
The junior setter was always there to bring the team up when they were down with her killer serves according to Serrano, recording 224 of them as well as 607 sets, 140 assists, 139 digs and 29 aces. She notched a pair of aces in a match against Fontbonne Academy.
An SEC All-Star, expect Santos to continue to grow and improve as an athlete heading into her senior year.
Shelby Estrella, Bristol-Plymouth
The sophomore setter established herself as a top threat for the Craftsmen this fall, recording 258 serves, 121 assists, 107 digs, 57 aces and 13 kills. Some of her most notable outings include 17 digs, 10 assists and four aces against Shepherd Hill, 11 aces, six digs, five assists and a kill against Blue Hills and nine digs and nine aces against Old Colony.
Also a valuable member of the softball team, expect Estrella to continue to grow and improve as an athlete over her next two years at B-P.
Lilee Rodrigues, Bristol-Plymouth
The senior libero wrapped up a solid high school volleyball career with another strong season, recording 143 digs, 134 serves and 29 aces. Some of her most notable outings include recording 15 digs and three aces against Westport, eight digs and five aces against Norfolk Aggie and nine digs and two aces against Southeastern.
Rodrigues' presence and abilities will certainly be missed by the Craftsmen next year.
Nevaeh Sullivan, Bristol-Plymouth
The senior middle hitter wrapped up a strong high school volleyball campaign with another great season for the Craftsmen, recording 228 serves, 106 kills, 32 aces, 30 digs, 16 blocks and seven assists. The heart of the B-P offense, some of her most notable outings include 13 kills, two digs and two aces against Westport, 13 kills and a pair of aces against Shepherd Hill and 11 kills and a block against Southeastern.
An MAC All-Star, Sullivan's leadership, skills and experience will certainly be missed at B-P next year.
Lucy Latour, Dighton-Rehoboth
The senior middle blocker sadly had her final high school volleyball season cut short by injury, but her impact during those five matches she played was undeniable. Some of her most notable performances include recording 21 kills and 11 blocks against New Bedford, 12 kills and three blocks against Somerset Berkley and four kills against Old Rochester.
The 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Volleyball Player of the Year, Latour is also a star basketball and softball player and has been named an All-Scholastic in all three sports each season dating back to the fall of 2021. Her talents and leadership will surely be missed in all three sports by the Falcons next year.
Second Team All-Scholastics
Taryn Campbell, Taunton
Caroline Pietnik, Taunton
Jaden Sabina, Taunton
Morgan Smith, Taunton
Katie Corcoran, Bridgewater-Raynham
Rachel Albernaz, Bristol-Plymouth
Christele Derogene, Bristol-Plymouth
Hannah Cronin, Dighton-Rehoboth
Sara Marsella, Dighton-Rehoboth
Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Presenting the 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Volleyball All-Scholastics
